Female and male human embryo growth rates are similar before the eight-cell stage.
OBJECTIVE
Our purpose was to assess the possible relationship between human embryo growth rates and sexual differentiation.


METHODS
We analyzed 142 conceptional in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer cycles undertaken in 137 women (151 embryos transferred) in which each embryo transferred led to a gestational sac. Embryos were sorted into three groups according to the number of blastomeres assessed just before embryo transfers < or = 3, 4, and > or = 5 blastomeres.


RESULTS
Percentages of girls and boys remained roughly unaltered irrespective of the number of blastomeres observed just before embryo transfer: < or = 3 blastomeres, 45% and 55%; 4 blastomeres, 44% and 56%; and > or = 5 blastomeres, 45% and 55%, respectively (statistical power 90% at the 5% significance level).


CONCLUSIONS
This indicates that embryo growth rates before the eight-cell stage are not related to the sex of the live-born infant, thereby dissuading the use of embryo growth rates in the appraisal of sex likelihood in regular in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer.
Fanchin
R
R
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproductive Endocrinology, Hôpital Antoine Béclère, France.
Righini
C
C
Olivennes
F
F
Lejeune
V
V
Volante
M
M
Frydman
R
R
D001757:Blastomeres / Q000166:cytology*; D004624:Embryo Transfer / Q000379:methods; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000166:cytology*; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012733:Sex Differentiation / Q000502:physiology*